Michael B. Jordan has been acting since his teenage years, and in 2023 he made his directorial debut with “Creed III,” which earned the actor-director a slew of achievements including the highest grossing opening weekend of any of the films in the Rocky/Creed franchise, and the most successful debut for a sports movie in the U.S., plus plenty of enthusiastic reviews.
Now, stepping up to the director’s plate once again, Jordan is tackling a remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” – which he will also star in. The original “Thomas Crown Affair” movie came out in 1968, starring Steve McQueen as a wealthy banker who pulls off the ultimate bank heist and Faye Dunaway as an insurance investigator tasked with taking him down, where a romance ensues amid their cat-and-mouse chase. In 1999, Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo featured in a remake of the hit film, which was just as successful, if not more so. Jordan has been attached to star in the remake of the remake since he pitched the idea to Amazon’s MGM studios back in early 2016, and his new role as the film’s director largely hinges on the huge success of his recent directing debut.
Jordan is no stranger to the unique role of being a lead actor in a film that he is also directing, but it’s a position that he doesn’t take lightly. In an interview with TIME Magazine last year as part of their 100 most influential people of 2023 issue, Jordan admitted to being nervous before taking on the responsibility, so he looked to advice from some of his actor-director colleagues, like Denzel Washington and Jon Favreau, who gave him tips on everything from how navigate the unknowns to how to handle saying “action” and “cut” while acting in a scene. In the same interview, Jordan also revealed his urge to get back into the director’s seat – “I got the bug. I love it. I’m looking forward to the next time sitting behind the camera.”
As of now, there’s no scheduled release date for Jordan’s version of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” and his co-star still has yet to be selected, but in the meantime we can catch the actor in any number of other projects that he has brewing right now. Jordan and his longtime collaborator and friend, writer-director Ryan Coogler (director of “Black Panther” and “Fruitvale Station”), are teaming up once again for their fifth collaboration, a new supernatural thriller, currently filming in New Orleans and set for release March 7th, 2025. Jordan is also attached to the sequel for “I am Legend,” where he’ll be starring alongside Will Smith. “Creed IV” is in development too, with Jordan signed on to reprise his role as Donnie Creed, while continuing to chase his new passion for directing.
